Raynham woman killed in Route 24 crash was an activist, a writer, a recovering addict

Tuesday

Apr 15, 2014 at 9:41 PMApr 16, 2014 at 1:11 PM

Stephanie Picher overcame a lot in her short life.

Brian Fraga Herald News Staff Reporter @BfragaHN

FREETOWN — Stephanie Picher overcame a lot in her short life.

Picher, 32, of Raynham, struggled with her sexual identity before coming out as a lesbian in her mid-20s. She was bullied in school, and battled depression and drug addiction after her father was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“She was misunderstood in high school. She was always the type of person that would stand up for someone else, but she never stood up for herself,” her brother, Patrick Picher, said.

Eight years ago, Stephanie Picher stopped using and went back to school. A talented photographer and aspiring writer, journalist and activist for LGBT causes, she was set to graduate this spring with a bachelor’s degree from Bridgewater State University. She wanted to make a difference in people’s lives.

“In reality, I’ve never been happier than being someone that people can turn to or feel comfortable turning to,” Picher said in a 2011 video she posted on YouTube.

Picher’s life was cut short Monday afternoon on Route 24 northbound in Freetown. She somehow lost control of her silver Honda sedan, swerved off the roadway and crashed into the rear of a parked tractor-trailer, just north of Exit 9. She was declared dead at the scene.

News of Picher’s death spread Monday night among fans of Lady Gaga, the pop singer whom Picher adored and once camped for three days in New York’s Central Park to see in concert. Picher drew strength from Lady Gaga, a champion for the rights and dignity of the gay, lesbian and transgender community.

“She met some amazing people through that Lady Gaga subculture,” said Patrick Picher, who admitted he never understood his older sister’s “obsession” with Lady Gaga until recently.

“It helped keep her clean. It almost gave her a purpose,” he said. “It also gave her an opportunity to help other people who were like her.”

Amanda Rosenblatt said she met Stephanie Picher three years ago at a Lady Gaga concert. They quickly became close friends.

“Once you got to know Stephanie as a person, she was a very vibrant person,” said Rosenblatt, who uploaded a memorial video in Picher’s honor to YouTube.

Rosenblatt said her community of Lady Gaga fans will be reaching out to the pop singer, who Picher met twice. Patrick Picher said he also hopes to somehow let the singer know about his sister’s devotion.

“If anything, just to tell her, ‘You changed my sister’s life for the better. You helped her in ways you could never understand,’” Patrick Picher said.

On Tuesday, Massachusetts State Police said it was still investigating how Picher lost control of her vehicle. She was the lone occupant of the Honda. The tractor-trailer was parked off the roadway and on the shoulder of the breakdown lane.

The operator of the tractor-trailer, a 47 year-old Philadelphia man, was in the cab of the truck at the time of the crash and was not injured, according to the state police.

Patrick Picher said his sister and mother were planning to attend a Lady Gaga concert on May 8 in Pittsburgh. He said they had VIP tickets and planned to meet the singer backstage. Stephanie was also designing a new jacket — complete with studs and spikes — for the show.

“She was so excited for that concert,” Patrick Picher said.

Stephanie Picher, Rosenblatt said, was a “walking example of the virtues” she believed Lady Gaga and her fans stood for.

“Stephanie liked to engage other people,” Rosenblatt said. “I wouldn’t call her very rambunctious or rowdy, but if you got her going with a good joke, she would laugh you right out of the room.”

In May 2011, Picher met Lady Gaga after receiving a backstage pass from Good Morning America for its annual summer concert series in New York City. She met Lady Gaga a second time during an autograph-signing event. Lady Gaga recognized her tattoo.

“It meant a lot to her,” Rosenblatt said.

Stephanie Picher spoke candidly of her personal battles and ongoing struggles with self-esteem in her writings and videos. Still, she had reached a point in life where she could say in one video: “This is who I am. I’m proud of who I am.”